PCA member among slain in Afghanistan
August 10, 2010
The following note was just received from the staff of Covenant Presbyterian Church in Harrisonburg. The Assoicated Press released the final two names of missionaries killed by the Taliban last week in Afghanistan, and one of them was from our Presbytery. Please put this family – both immeidate and church – on your prayer lists and, if possible, ask your Deacons and/or members to help with the funds needed for expenses.
We have received word that Brian Carderelli was in killed in Afghanistan while working with the medical team giving aid in Nuristan. Brian Carderelli was a dearly loved member of Covenant Presbyterian Church. He grew up in the church, was a 2009 graduate of James Madison University (Digital Video degree), and after graduation volunteered in many capacities in the church. He loved people and was particularly concerned for the poor. He had been in Afghanistan since last September and was serving the IAM and various other organizations using his photography and videography skills to produce promotional materials and donor reports. Doctors Little and Woo had invited Brian on the Nuristan trip to document their work.
Brian was an eagle scout who loved the outdoors including hiking, snowboarding and surfing. In his spare time, he enjoyed photographing the beauty and the people of Afghanistan; and he was compiling an album of photos he had entitled, “The Beauty – It’s not all War”. Brian’s gentle spirit and witty sense of humor endeared him to all who knew him.
Brian was a Christian who was killed as he was fulfilling his life ambition to use his talents and training to show the love of Christ to the poor and disadvantaged. Our church family will greatly miss Brian.
Covenant Presbyterian has established a fund to help the Carderellis with expenses associated with Brian’s death. Please send contributions, payable to Covenant Presbyterian Church (“Carderelli” on the memo line), to Covenant Presbyterian Church, Attn: Kendal Butler, 32 Southgate Ct., Suite 101, Harrisonburg, VA 22801.
Kendal H. Butler
Director of Administration
Covenant Presbyterian Church
32 Southgate Ct., Suite 101
Harrisonburg, VA 22801
540-433-3051; www.cov-pres.org
Cream of blog 07.22.10
July 22, 2010
- Advice for parents of college-bound students from John Mark Reynolds.
- Shared link from Dr. David Jones on the Christian ethics of cremation.
- C.J. Mahaney answers a father’s question about the heart issues behind a son’s obsession with video games.
- Owen Strachan gathers some powerful points from Jonathan Edwards on the question of how you can discern if you truly are a Christian.
Preview of Crossway ESV Bible Atlas
June 17, 2010
You can take a virtual look at the new Crossway ESV Bible Atlas, by John D. Currid and David P. Barrett. It is due for release on June 30. If you are a map geek (I’m one) and want to know more about biblical history and the geography of the Ancient Near East, this looks like a must purchase. It would also be good for a church library purchase.
Capitalizing on recent advances in satellite imaging and geographic information systems, the Crossway ESV Bible Atlas offers Bible readers a comprehensive, up-to-date resource that blends technical sophistication with readability, visual appeal, and historical and biblical accuracy.
All the key methods of presenting Bible geography and history are here, including more than 175 full-color maps, 70 photographs, 3-D re-creations of biblical objects and sites, indexes, timelines, and 65,000 words of narrative description. The atlas uniquely features regional maps detailing biblically significant areas such as Egypt, Mesopotamia, Italy, and Greece. It also includes a CD with searchable indexes and digital maps, and a removable, 16.5 x 22-inch map of Palestine.
I like a well-turned ankle as much as the next guy, but…
June 17, 2010
Lately our friend Ligon Duncan has been offering up “classics” from his “Pastor’s Perspective” piece in the FPC Jackson newsletter, The First Epistle. Here’s a still timely excerpt from his October 16, 2001, column re: modesty…
…regarding modesty, I have been approached recently by a number of godly women in our congregation who have, independently of one another, expressed their concerns to me about the lack of modesty in the clothing of many of the girls and young women in our own church. Now, I realize that fools rush in where angels fear to tread, but allow me to venture a few comments.
Current styles of dress are not exactly helping our young people in the direction of modesty. The headmaster of our Day School spoke to our Session Monday night and spoke in passing of the “Britney-ization” of our girls (referring to the famous pop icon, singer/dancer, and pin-up girl – Britney Spears). Of course, this is nothing new. Fashion has always posed certain challenges for Christians. However, we seem to be in a phase of particular, acute and widespread compromise.
I saw a column by Terry Johnson (Senior Minister of the Independent Presbyterian Church in Savannah, Georgia) a few weeks ago addressing this issue in his own congregation. He said: “I remember long ago reading Eric Segal’s description of the heroine in Love Story (through the thought of her ‘preppie’ suitor) that there had never seen so much as an additional button left unbuttoned on her blouse. This was Segal’s way of describing her modesty. She exposed nothing! Somehow I can’t imagine a novel today having such a line. Our culture is so far gone in the direction of immodesty that Jennifer (no puritan herself) seems quaint, almost Jane Austenish. The spandex revolution has taken its toll. In addition to shorts and skirts that are way too short (what’s wrong with the top of the knee?), and necklines that plunge way too low, we must now contend with tops and bottoms that are ridiculously too tight.”
Elisabeth Elliott has raised a timely point abut modesty in her newsletter. She quotes a letter from a listener: “Where are the men? Why are they so passive on this issue? I’m speaking particularly of husbands and fathers who allow their wives and daughters to appear publicly in an inappropriate and immodest fashion. This issue is close to my heart because we have been blessed with three sons and three daughters. My heart’s desire is to teach them the responsibility that goes with purity and abstinence, to appear and behave in such a way that God is honored. But what do we say to our children when many of the Christian girls they meet and with whom they interact do not practice modesty? Though they profess the name of Christ, their appearance certainly causes godly young men to strive valiantly with their thoughts. I thank God for a godly husband, who guards and gives guidance to our daughters and to me. May our children have the strength to respond in a godly way in spite of the tremendous pressures to compromise. I realize this is not a popular issue to talk about, but it is a concern that is close to my heart and I believe close to the heart of our Heavenly Father.” (From Gateway to Joy, May 24, 2001).
8 snares set by the fear of man
June 16, 2010
Great post by Jamie Munson of Mars Hill Church, Seattle (original post here):
We often care about other people’s opinion more than we care about God’s opinion. We worry about our status among fellow humans because we fail to grasp our identity in Jesus. When we fear man, we’re vulnerable…“The fear of man lays a snare,” the Bible says, “but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe” (Proverbs 29:25). Here are eight consequences—snares—that can result from fear of man:
- Idolatry. When we care about what man thinks more than what God thinks, we turn people into idols that we worship—seeking to please them in order to earn their approval or respect.
- Ineffectiveness. When we fear man we neglect God’s calling for us and we lose focus on executing the tasks in front of us because we’re too preoccupied with what others are thinking.
- Lack of love. When we’re overly concerned with “getting it right,” we turn people into projects to accomplish. We withhold our compassion and grow reserved and calculating in our pursuit of people.
- Fakeness. If you’re overly motivated by the opinions of others, you won’t act like yourself. You’ll be a chameleon, adapting yourself to any situation for the sole purpose of fitting in.
- Apathy. Fear man and you’ll quit taking risks because of the potential for embarrassment in failure. If an endeavor is unlikely to succeed, you’ll never take the chance. In other words, you’ll never do much of anything.
- Dishonesty. It’s tough to speak truth into someone’s life because the truth can be painful. If we fear somebody’s response, however, necessary words will remain unsaid because we care more about ourselves (being liked) than we do about the person (seeing Jesus work in their life). This negligence always creates more long-term damage than the hurt it avoids in the present.
- Isolation. Fear of man won’t let you delegate anything because others might not do a good job (or they might do a better job), which could reflect poorly on your performance and reputation. Fear of man compels you to control everything—even if that means going it alone.
- Decision Paralysis. When we live out of fear rather than out of the convictions God has given us, we spin in circles unable to move forward.
I invite you to join me in respecting and honoring others and submitting to authority, but also in repenting of our fear of man. Fear and worship are reserved for God. In the end, only his opinion counts.
Your garden hose is too small
June 14, 2010
Great post from Pastor Dave Dorr of Cincinnati, Ohio on how you can’t handle a house fire by yourself…and how you can’t handle the guilt and power of sin by yourself either:
Recently a firefighter in our church was told by one of his colleagues that belief in Jesus was for weak people. I found that ironic coming from a firefighter.
I have a fire hydrant in our side yard. I have never looked at the fire hydrant and felt any shame. I drive by a firehouse every day. I never think, “If this community didn’t have weak people than we would never need firehouses.” Every month when I pay my property taxes, which go towards financing fire departments, I never get angry at myself, thinking, “if I could just handle fire myself I wouldn’t have to write this check.”
Imagine a person whose house is on fire. The fire is raging out of control and the fire truck pulls up, sirens blaring. The person runs out of his house in a rage and says, “How dare you come to my house and think that I can’t handle this fire myself! Firefighters are for weak people, not for me.”
What would you think of someone like that? Insane.
We know that fire departments are for “weak” people because a power exists that we simply can’t deal with on our own: fire. Actually, we admire firefighters because they are people who have committed themselves to take on the power of fire at personal expense.
Christians are weak in the same sense that a community is “weak” for having fire departments. They are people who acknowledge that a power exists that they can’t confront and live — the holiness of God. This, however, is not cause for shame, because there was one man who dealt with that power at personal expense, on a cross. And, as every firefighter can admit, when someone is rescued from the flames, they’re not thinking about their weakness; they’re overjoyed that someone would risk it all to save them.
Original post here.
Reading list: parenting with a future hope
May 17, 2010
FPC Kosciusko recently hosted Covenant Values Weekend, featuring Dr. John Kwasny, director of Christian education and children’s ministry at Pear Orchard Presbyterian Church in Ridgeland, Mississippi. You can download the content of his lectures at fpckosciusko.org.
John also provided attendees with a recommended reading list. Titles are available from good Christian book outlets:
General parenting:
- Gospel-Powered Parenting by William P. Farley
- Shepherding a Child’s Heart by Tedd Tripp
- Instructing a Child’s Heart by Tedd & Margy Tripp
- Duties of Parents by J.C. Ryle (pamphlet)
- Your Family, God’s Way by Wayne Mack
- Teach Them Diligently: How to Use the Scriptures in Child Training by Lou Priolo
Parenting Teens:
- Age of Opportunity by Paul Tripp
- The Space Between by Walt Mueller
Anger Problems:
- The Heart of Anger by Lou Priolo
Catechism/Family Devotions
- Training Hearts, Teaching Minds by Starr Meade
Cream of blog 10.05.11
May 11, 2010
A few blog posts worthy of your time
- Kevin DeYoung on that feeling of perpetual guilt you may have.
- Kevin DeYoung on questions we should ask when people are disappointed with the church. (part one, two, and three)
- Got a “Swagger Wagon”? You might want one after watching these two videos.
- And another thing: Is your worship contemporvant? Let these guys show you how to fix that.
- Jonathan Dodson on 5 reasons you may not be seeing spiritual growth.
Let the one who think he stands…
April 20, 2010
Good post from Nic Batzig over at Feeding on Christ:
If Abraham could hand his wife over to other men–two times!; if Isaac could show partiality to Esau; if Jacob could deceive his brother and steal the birthright; if Gideon, Barak, and Jephthah could doubt the promises of God; If Samson could give his strength to pagan women–twice!; if David could commit adultery and premeditated murder, and in pride count the number of Israelites over whom he ruled; if Solomon could be led astray by many women to worship foreign gods; if Baruch could seek accolades for helping Jeremiah write his book; if Peter could deny the Gospel by trying to stop Jesus from going to the cross, by telling Jesus not to wash his feet, by rejecting the vision of the unclean animals–twice!, and by not sitting with Gentile Christians; if James and John could try to use Jesus to get to the top, and desire to call fire down from heaven on those who would not believe the Gospel; and if the apostle John could fall down to worship Angels–twice!…so could I! Let the one who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.
Cross and criticism
March 23, 2010
Few things in life are more difficult to handle rightly than criticism. How hard it is to speak and to respond in a gospel-centered way. As a pastor, I am a frequent recipient of criticism–the constructive and the destructive, the accurate, the half-true, and the utterly false, the well-timed and the ill-timed, the gracious and the malicious–I have learned that how I respond reveals a lot about me. What do I do with my critics? Do I shrink them in my field of vision so that I no longer acknowledge them, regard them, pay any attention to them, share with them, or regard them as part of the family? Or do I inflate them in my field of vision so that I brood over their words and think about them constantly, see them as larger than they really are, give them control over my feelings and decisions, or allow them to lead me around like a bull with a ring in his nose?
I commend to you Alfred J. Poirier’s “The Cross and Criticism,” which appeared in the Spring, 1999, issue of The Journal of Biblical Counseling. Here’s an excerpt:
In light of God’s judgment and justification of the sinner in the cross of Christ, we can begin to discover how to deal with any and all criticism. By agreeing with God’s criticism of me in Christ’s cross, I can face any criticism man may lay against me. In other words, no one can criticize me more than the cross has. And the most devastating criticism turns out to be the finest mercy. If you thus know yourself as having been crucified with Christ, then you can respond to any criticism, even mistaken or hostile criticism, without bitterness, defensiveness, or blameshifting. Such responses typically exacerbate and intensify conflict, and lead to the rupture of relationships. You can learn to hear criticism as constructive and not condemnatory because God has justified you.
Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? (Rom. 8:33-34a).
Let a righteous man strike me—it is a kindness; let him rebuke me—it is oil on my head. My head will not refuse it (Ps. 141:5).
